Do I miss it? No, certainly not. Did I love it? Kind of, first year was the dog’s bollocks. Especially if you’re of Asian origin, experiencing the freedom from not being under your parent’s roof is one of the best things ever! Independence will push you to grow and change, hopefully for the better if you’ve been brought up with a good set of morals. Although I’m not going to be going back to university, I thought I’d pass on MY advice and opinion for those who are returning/beginning this stage of their life. More on the reverse.
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Let’s start off with the first years. I experienced first year twice, can’t get no better than that. The first time, I was at Staffordshire University in a town far far away from London. It is the complete opposite of this city – random people say hi to you which is nice but the town is quite dead in comparison. First year is all about experiencing new things (no drugs!), it’s a chance for you to start off fresh if you had a torrid time in school – a time to reinvent yourself and break free of whatever held you back during school. Be bold and grow.
Of course first year is all about making friends, partying (not too much!) and getting used to the relaxed university lifestyle. You just need to ensure you don’t party like rockstar every night as you still need to get that 40% to get through the year.
Second year is a whole different story. The partying mentality wears off after freshers as this is where things are about to get a little serious, the work load starts to get intense. If you’re looking to graduate and work in the media/creative industry then it’s the best time to start a side venture – an ‘and-i‘ as my boss called it a few weeks ago. Employers nowadays look for more than just a bog standard degree, you need to be able to show you’ve gone out of your way to start a venture and sustain it. So in your interview you can be like ‘I’ve got a 2:1 and-I…’. Geddit? It’s when we launched Yin&Yang. Our passion project.
At most of universities, second year grades will add to your final year grades so this is the time you have to start putting your head down and make sure you pass with good grades. No scraping those 40s if you want to pass with at least a 2:1.
Final year – you just want this sh*t to be over with now. Dissertation and exams looming, assignments and presentations to complete on top of them. You may even think about giving up/not being able to do it all – don’t be silly. You’ve got this far, why quit now? Complete it, get that degree – it’s your key to the future and your fall safe.
Where do I begin? This is the year you should realise who your real friends are. You will be so busy with university that your social life will suffer. Real friends will understand why you’re so busy and make contact instead of waiting for you to make the first move. Others will moan and complain about your lack of communication.
Workwise, you have to put your head down and get on with. I advise you to start everything early, especially your dissertation. I left mine till the very last day and missed a handful of meetings with my tutor because I hadn’t done anything. Bad I know, imagine if I did start everything on time…I’d have got a 1st. No regrets. It’s no time for procrastination, prioritise your work above all for a few months so you can get the grade you deserve. Hard work always pays off.
You won’t realise how satisfying it is to pass till you do, all the sleepless nights and stress will be worth it in the end. Incredible feeling, I couldn’t stop smiling. Even today, I don’t really know how I managed to graduate! I was expecting a 3rd not a 2:1. God is able. If you need any help with dissertation – interviews, opinions and more, don’t hesitate to email us at info@yinnyang.co.uk or tweet us @yinnyangtweets. What use is knowledge if you’re not willing to share it?
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